


An Arbitration of Time

by starlurker



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-03
Updated: 2011-04-03
Packaged: 2017-10-17 12:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/176719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlurker/pseuds/starlurker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every anniversary yields a milestone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Arbitration of Time

**Author's Note:**

> For [fenwic](fenwic.livejournal.com), who asked for Hurt!Reid and Worried!Luke as part of her winning bid for the Queensland flood relief auctions. This is a lighter take on that prompt.

FIRST ANNIVERSARY

"It's not my fault," Luke said. "You moved at the last minute!" He kneeled on the floor to get next to Reid, who gave him such a baleful glare even as tears slid down his cheeks.

"Jesus Christ," Reid said, and turned to his side.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Would ice help?"

"Ice will not help. Luke, surely you've been hit there before. Even by accident."

"No," Luke said. "That's a milestone I'm glad I haven't experienced yet." Thank God, he thought. Seeing Reid's eyes water from the pain wasn't something he was keen to live through himself. He'd always winced in sympathy whenever it happened in the movies, but only because every other man did and it was something he felt he had to do.

Reid rolled onto his back and stared at Luke in disbelief. "You've lived all your life in this insane town and somehow have been lucky enough not to get hit on your cock?"

Luke bristled. "What, is that like a rite of childhood or something? You can't be a man until you've had your dick donkey punched?"

Reid winced as he sat up, and Luke really did feel bad, but Reid had a way of exasperating him out of any feeling of sympathy. "That's because you're blond and have cartoon eyes," Reid muttered.

"I do not have cartoon eyes," Luke said through gritted teeth.

"People look at you and want to feed you milk and cookies." Reid spoke through clenched jaws, his mouth a razor-thin line on his face, his breathing labored. Luke kissed him to shut him up, but like all their kisses, it led to other, more involved things. Luke had already taken off his shirt and Reid was down to his boxers when Luke hit him in the most delicate of spots in the middle of their impromptu wrestling match. Luke felt every bit of Reid's bared skin that touched his as he sat on Reid's lap. He ran his tongue over Reid's lower lip and heard Reid's intake of breath, then felt the world go topsy-turvy as he was flipped on his back with Reid going on top, with nothing about him appearing to be in pain. Luke arched his neck as Reid chased some network of veins that only he could see, tongue flicking and mouth sucking deep kisses that Luke could feel everywhere.

"Reid," he started, but lost his train of thought.

"You certainly have a way of making me forget that you could have crippled me for life," Reid said, the words mumbled and wet on Luke's chest. Luke was so turned on he didn't know what to do with himself so he stayed on his back and tried not to shove Reid's head further down his body.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself," Luke said. "I would have become a monk."

Reid raised his head from Luke's stomach, a skeptical eyebrow lifted. "You'd go into a monastery after you maimed me for life?"

Luke smirked. "I figure I'll have my fill of tough dicks there."

Reid's smile was full of delight, and Luke had to remember what he just said because he wanted to see that expression all the time. "You've been spending far too much time with me, Mr. Snyder. Dirty innuendo and a callous disregard for my continued good health? I'm impressed."

"My cartoon eyes have hidden depths," Luke said solemnly.

Reid's face settled into full intent -- why is that so sexy, Luke thought -- and with little warning, pulled Luke's pants and underwear down in one swift motion.

"I'm still a little indisposed," Reid said, his voice going into its lower timbres and so sexy that it should have been illegal. "But you're not, and you can make it up to me some other time."

He'd need to apologize to Katie later, but Luke couldn't help it: he moaned out loud, and not in a way that could be misinterpreted that he was doing anything else than what he was doing. He forgot everything except the feel of Reid's mouth, and back there somewhere, lost in the tumult of more more more and now now now, he wondered why he felt like he had to wait. It was like jumping into a river and deciding in midair that he didn't want to swim.

"You're thinking way too much up there," Reid said, his mouth making a filthy popping sound that Luke had no problem hearing over and over. "Am I not living up to expectations?"

"A little," Luke said, trying to keep a straight face. After a minute of staring at each other, with Luke trying not to stare at Reid's gleaming mouth, Luke cracked first -- he laughed out loud and covered his eyes with his forearm. "You're a bad influence," he said. He felt more than heard Reid chuckle since his mouth near the sensitive strip below Luke's navel.

"I'll be even worse now," Reid murmured, and Luke couldn't wait for it. What Reid thought of his as his worst was what Luke secretly thought of as his best, and that was a thought he'd take with him to the grave. He settled in for the ride.

 

SECOND ANNIVERSARY

Reid was blindfolded on the bed, his arms tied to the bedposts. He was helpless as Luke, the kinky bastard, did wonderful, amazing, beautiful things with chocolate and ice and leather and most spectacularly, his fingers and tongue.

"You're a fucking kinky bastard," he panted out. "When did you get so kinky? And so fucking good?"

He felt Luke crawl up his body, Luke's mouth go near his ear.

"Only with you," Luke said. "Only ever with you."

Reid's heart did somersaults. "I should have known you'd still be sentimental even with all dirty stuff this going on," he said, and was rewarded by Luke's sunlight laugh. He sprained his wrists pretty badly during one particularly inspired maneuver from Luke, but it was totally worth it, even if he couldn't operate on anyone for two whole weeks. Luke did everything in bed for those two weeks, and Reid just didn't have the energy to complain.

 

THIRD ANNIVERSARY

Luke knocked at Katie's door and braced himself when he saw her face.

"Luke," she said. She was so polite that Luke felt like ripping his hair out.

"Hi Katie." Katie stood at the door with her arms crossed. He'd known Katie for far longer than Reid did, but it always amazed Luke as to how close Katie and Reid actually became, that she would take Reid's side over anyone else's now. He knew Reid thought of her as the sister he didn't have, and in front of him was evidence that Katie felt just as strongly about Reid.

"I need to talk to him," Luke said, pleading. "Come on Katie, I just need five minutes with him."

"You heard that?" Katie asked randomly. At Luke's confused reaction, she said "It's Jacob's old baby monitors." She held it up with her right hand. It was white with big blue and yellow buttons.

"What is this, a sting operation?"

"I don't think you get to question our methods," Katie said.

Luke heard Reid's voice through the monitors scrambled by static. "It's OK, Katie," Reid said.

Katie rolled her eyes and looked at Luke. "I made a bet with him," she whispered, sidling closer to Luke. "I knew he couldn't last more than a minute. I told him you'd have a good explanation." She let him in finally and then spoke on the monitor. "Should I send him in or grill him a bit more?"

"Send him in," Reid said. At this, Luke couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation and was relieved to see Katie do the same.

"What is it with you guys when you have a fight?" Katie asked. "Both of you turn ten years old." She walked to the kitchen and brought out a big plate filled with sandwiches and put it on a tray, on which there were already bottles of water. "Take this in when you go," she commanded. "Hash this out. You have food and water for a day. I'm not letting you out until you get this sorted out." She held out the tray expectantly at Luke, who took it with some apprehension. "I don't want to be a referee again," she said, and waved him off.

Luke smiled at her, Reid's best friend, his own friend, someone who always understood the bond between him and Reid and one of the few people in town who from the very beginning had nothing but support for them. "Thanks, Katie," he said.

Her face softened into a smile. "Shoo," she said. "Fix it."

Luke walked to Reid's old room in Katie's house. He nudged the door open with his hip and saw Reid standing with his arms crossed near the foot of the bed. "I'm armed with food," Luke said, trying for some levity. It fell flat, judging by the sharp lines on Reid's face. Luke kicked the door behind him closed and set the tray on the bed, Reid staying still when Luke got closer.

"I'm sorry," Reid said.

Luke stared at him in surprise. "That's my line."

"I'm sorry I was acting so childishly," Reid clarified. "You bring out the worst in me."

"I know your worst," Luke said, "and this isn't it."

Reid looked at him, and Luke knew that expression on his face. Reid expected the worst to happen when things were going great, and Luke hated it that he'd fulfilled that prophecy that Reid felt hung over his life.

"I didn't know Noah was in town today," Luke said. "I knew he was going to be though, I told you that. His schedule freed up earlier than he thought and he decided to look around town for locations to shoot his film."

Reid waved his hand around, telling him to speed it up. "He saw our property and thought it was great for one of his scenes. He knocked on our door, I let him in, we had coffee and you walked in just when he was about to leave."

"Really," Reid asked. "Was that embrace necessary? That wasn't a hug, Luke, and I'll use romantic novel crap to call it what it was, because that's what I saw. Was that kiss necessary?"

"I didn't kiss him," Luke said, trying to remain calm. "He was going for my cheek, but I turned at the wrong moment. Reid, if you tell me that in three years I've given you any doubt about how I feel for you, I'll walk out this room. I get that you're upset because you saw something, but I am telling you what happened. If you choose to believe the worst, then we don't have much of a point."

Something in Reid's face broke at that and Luke pulled him in his arms. "Come on," he said against Reid's face. "I'm sorry. I know how it looked and I know Noah's a sore spot and he always will be and I'm sorry for that, but nothing happened. It was weird and awkward."

Reid pulled out of his arms only to put his hands on Luke's face to cup it. "You remain my one glaring weakness, Luke Snyder," he said. "It doesn't take much to hurt me when it comes to you, and it pisses me off."

Luke could only look at the vulnerability on Reid's face, in his eyes. The world always saw Reid as he presented himself: arrogant, condescending, intelligent -- he made sure of that. Luke had access though to the good man hidden underneath who wrapped his compliments with insults, the man who was only brutally honest with those he deeply cared for because he thought the people he loved deserved nothing less.

"I love you too," Luke said. Reid's face flitted through various feelings that Luke was still learning to decipher -- this face Luke branded Pleased But Waiting For the Other Shoe to Drop. "Let's go home."

Reid nodded. He tugged at Luke, and they kissed in his old room, as much a part of their history as the one they were making in their new house. As always, they got carried away. When Katie cleared her throat, Luke's hands had already crept under Reid's shirt and Reid's hand was cupping Luke's crotch through his jeans. They parted with a gasp and turned to look at her, gleaming with satisfaction even as she watched with an eyebrow raised.

"I love a reunion," she said. "The bag is for the sandwiches and the water. Pack them up and take them with you, hmm?" She smiled at them both and shook her head. "Happy anniversary, guys." She put the bag's handles on the doorknob and walked away.

"Worst anniversary ever," Reid said.

"It'll get better" Luke replied. They packed the food and went to the kitchen hand in hand, and Luke thought they took the catcalls and hooting from Katie with a great deal of grace.

 

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY

First course: Braised pork belly with butter-poached scallops on top of a coffee and port reduction

(Reid ran around like a crazy person. The pork belly was still tough when he took it out of the oven and he burned the scallops. The coffee and port reduction was too bitter and he ended up with an unsalvageable, inedible mess that he was ashamed to call food. When he had insisted on a complete chef's kitchen in their house, he'd always thought he would become a master at using everything in it.

Why did I believe Luke and his Pollyanna-ish promises about homemade gifts, he wondered.)

Second course: Black cod on vegetable ratatouille with herb salad and beurre blanc

(He cut the vegetables in uneven, large slices so they didn't cook evenly. He bit into mushy onions and hard carrots. The beurre blanc didn't emulsify properly and went in large, ugly clumps on top of the fish. The cilantro overpowered everything in the herb salad.

If Luke insisted on things they'd made themselves for the next big event, maybe Reid would just demonstrate how to operate on someone's head using a coconut. Or maybe a big pineapple.)

Dessert: Hazelnut and coffee "cigars" served with homemade ice cream in espresso

(The coffee "cigars" were hard and probably chipped one of his teeth. It was the most successful of all his dishes.

Luke gamely ate all the food that he could eat. "The fish was cooked great," he said, as picked through the vegetables that were actually cooked. "The pork belly has great flavor," he mentioned as he set aside the charcoal masquerading as scallops. "The ice cream is fantastic," he said as he gave up on trying to bite off a piece of the coffee cigar.

"It's nice to know that not even you can get everything right on the first try," Luke said. He said that while unbuttoning his shirt in the kitchen. "Stick with sandwiches for a little bit," he said while unbuckling his belt. "I don't care if you can't cook. Neither can I," he said as his boxers started coming off. Reid had stopped paying attention the minute Luke's hands slipped the first button free.)

 

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

One of the privileges of wealth, Luke thought, was having a private plane. The recession had officially ended a year ago and Grimaldi Shipping had come out of it with flying colors. He had more money than he knew what to do with, but he had the foundation to pour it into, and the hospital was receiving the benefits of his wealth. He still found that uncomfortable.

"Stop," Reid said beside him.

"What?"

"Stop. Yes, you're rich. You're doing good things with it. The world is an unfair place and you can't fix it, but you can help it along as much as you can. So stop."

"I hate it when you do that."

Reid turned to him and smiled. "You're a cliché. Poor little rich boy with a martyr complex. But I still like you, so you're not a total write-off."

"Gee, you sure know how to make me feel special."

"It's a gift."

"Shut up."

"That's pathetic, Snyder."

Sometimes, Luke found it difficult to believe that they'd made it this far. For all the things that they've gone through, there were still times when they reverted back to kindergarten age. It's a wonder both their careers were still prospering.

"I'm nervous," he admitted.

"So am I," Reid said. "We'd be idiots not to be at this point. But that's no reason to let up on your verbal sparring skills. All of my lessons for nothing."

Luke laughed, partly out of disbelief. Trust Reid to consider that a priority. "That's what you've been trying to teach me all this time? How to fight?"

"It's an essential skill." Reid shrugged. "I can think of worse things for you to learn. How to commit armed robbery for one thing."

"How to set fires," Luke added.

"Or be boring." Reid made a face. "That would be the worst of all. I'd rather you be a crazy robber-arsonist who only eats Skittles from the gas stations he's robbed, I think."

At that, Luke felt like he was hyperventilating. He put his head down between his knees. Reid was still wearing his god-awful comfortable shoes from the hospital.

"Come on, Luke. Let's make this year not fit our anniversary patterns. Don't throw up on your shoes."

"If I only throw up, this will make it the least traumatic of our anniversaries."

He could almost see Reid weighing the years they've had at this point, all the stupid fights and injuries and minor disasters. "That's true. But how about we try and break that pattern? Considering what we're about to do."

Luke took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He sat back up and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd acquired that old habit of Reid's, of suspecting the worst was about to happen when the best was occurring right in front of him.

The pilot's voice interrupted his reverie. "We're landing in 10 minutes, Mr. Snyder. Weather in California is sunny and warm, and the car will be waiting on the tarmac."

"Okay, that's pretty rich and spoiled," Reid admitted.

Luke turned to Reid. "Are you ready for this?"

Reid met him squarely, without fear or reservation. "Yes."

Luke knew he must have looked like an idiot; he probably had the biggest grin on his face right now. "Well then," he said, "let's go meet our daughter." Reid's smile was brilliant and all traces of Luke's concerns and insecurities disappeared into the ether. The minute the plane stopped, Luke got up and rushed to get out only to stumble -- he fell face first on the floor and chipped a tooth.

It was the worst thing that happened that day.

THE END


End file.
